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radical scavenging behavior of phenolic secondary metabolites in lichens exposed to chronic oxidant air pollution from Mexico City Journal of Chemical Ecology 33:1619-1634 Sanchez, J F.; Chiang, Y.-M & Wang, C C C (2008) Diversity of polyketide synthases found in the Aspergillus and Streptomyces genomes Molecular Pharmaceutics 5:226233 Yu, J H & Keller, N (2005) Regulation of secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi Annual Review of Phytopathology 43: 437-458 Part Land Use and Land Cover Change 12 Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana S Mosweu1, J.R Atlhopheng1 and M.P Setshogo2 1Department of Environmental Sciences of Biological Sciences University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana 2Department Introduction The association between vegetation and environmental factors has been a subject of ecological studies over time (e.g Monier & Amer, 2003; McDonald et al., 1996) Some of these studies have addressed facilitative and competitive interactions between woody and herbaceous plants (Maestre et al., 2003), whilst others focused on the feedbacks in the dynamics of plant communities (Schwinning et al., 2005) On the other hand, there is considerable empirical research work on pans and their associated landforms (e.g Lancaster, 1986; Goudie & Thomas, 1986; Cooke et al., 1993) Common land forms associated with pans like lunette dunes have particularly received significant attention from researchers (e.g Lancaster, 1978; Goudie & Thomas, 1986; Holmgren & Shaw, 1996) Most of the afore-mentioned studies have mainly focused on the morphology, sedimentology and the origin of lunette dunes and pans In addition, they have considered the significance of lunette dunes in palaeo-environmental reconstruction (Holmgren & Shaw, 1996; Lancaster, 1989; Marker & Holmes, 1995) Livestock production dominated by cattle rearing plays a pivotal economic role in the Kalahari area (van de Maas et al., 1994; Chanda et al., 2003; Mosweu et al., 2010) The most limiting factor in livestock production in Kalahari over the years has been the availability of surface water and fodder resources Consequently, lunette dune-pan environments continue to play a central role as sources of both water (Figure 1) and fodder resources for livestock in the area As a result, lunette dune-pan environments exist in the Kalahari as unique interspersed micro-ecosystems that are significantly intertwined with the livelihoods of rural communities of the area (Chanda et al., 2003; Mosweu & Areola, 2008) Although some research work has been conducted on the lunette dunes, pans, vegetationenvironment relationships, and land use in the Kalahari environment (e.g Chanda et al., 2003; Privette et al., 2004; Shugart et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2007; Mosweu, 2008), paucity still exists in researches that consider lunette dunes, pans and their environs as unique microecosystems of significance to rural communities inhabiting semi-arid and arid regions This scenario prevails in spite of the fact that the state of lunette dune-pans as micro-ecosystems remains vital in the sustainability of the livelihoods of the Kalahari rural communities and 234 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change other communities residing in semi-arid and arid regions elsewhere It is on this basis that the main aim of this chapter was to examine the interrelationships among the soil, vegetation, topography and land use in a lunette dune-pan environment with a view to elucidate their interactions and the consequent environmental changes thereof Thus, the specific objectives of this study were to investigate the following in a lunette dune-pan environment:  Soil physical and chemical characteristics;  Woody vegetation properties;  Land use attributes; and  The correlations amongst soil, vegetation and land use characteristics Fig Hand-dug well located in Sekoma pan The study site A lunette dune-pan complex located in the Sekoma village (Figure 2) in the Kalahari region of Botswana was chosen as a case study area The state of the environment, current land use practices and geographical position of the Sekoma lunette dune-pan system present an ideal environment for the investigation of environmental changes and ecosystem dynamics particularly in lunette dune-pan micro-ecosystems The geographical location of the study site along the Kalahari Transect (KT) ‘megatransect’ which has been established by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) for the study of both regional and universal environmental changes (e.g Shugart et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2007) positions this study within an international context of studies focusing on environmental changes The lithology of the area is characterized by the dolomite Precambrian aquifer system (Geological Survey Department, 1995) The general structure of vegetation in the area is shrub savanna and the vegetation is classified as southern Kalahari bush savanna (Department of Surveys and Mapping, 2001) The mean annual rainfall in the area is about 400 mm (Bhalotra, 1985) and the rainfall season is characterized by erratic rainfall patterns The lunette dune-pan complex is situated between the former (Sekoma West) and current (Sekoma) locations of the village (Figure 2) Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana 235 Fig Study site location (Author using base maps from Department of Surveys and Mapping, Gaborone, Botswana) Research methods 3.1 Sample collection Stratified transect sampling was used in this study This is a systematic sampling method in which sampling points were arranged linearly and continuously Transects were established from the pan fringes across selected lunette dunes (Tshube, Leremela and Kebuang) to the end of the slip face slope of each dune (Figure 3) Sampling was carried out at the pan fringes, wind ward slope, dune crest and slip face slope which were referred to as sampling points 1, 2, 3, and respectively (Figure 3) At the slopes, sampling was carried out at the approximate mid-point of the slopes A similar method was used with success in other studies including salt-marshes, inter-tidal zones, study of pattern and succession on dunes, altitudinal gradients, from dry to wet heath and across gradients of trampling intensity (Goldsmith & Harrison, 1976) Three quadrats of 20 m2 separated by 10 m were located at sampling points marked 1, 2, and (Figure 3) along the transects The quadrats were identified as indicated in Figure (Tshube 1-12; Leremela 13-24; Kebuang 25-36; ‘S’ denotes site) Vegetation and soil sampling was conducted in each of the quadrats Soil samples were collected in the center of each quadrat using an auger that had a sample collection chamber length of 20 cm and a volume of ca 23.75 mL Therefore, about 23.75 mL per sample volume were collected It was observed in the preliminary study that a soil profile established in the dunes did not show soil horizons Therefore, soil samples were collected at predetermined sampling depths (SDs) of 0-20 cm, 40-60 cm, 80-100 cm, 130-150 cm and 180-200 cm Methods used in this study to investigate vegetation and soil are summarized in Tables and 236 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change Fig Detailed layout of quadrats for sampling Parameter Species Cover Method of Analysis Crown-Diameter method Species density Species composition Simple counts list of plant species within a particular quadrat Spatial range of species Species distribution References Muller-Dombois &Ellenberg, 1974; Krebs (1989) Krebs (1989) Bonham(1989);Krebs (1989) Bonham(1989);Krebs (1989) Table Methods of vegetation study Parameter Available Phosphorus Particle size (sand, silt-clay) Electrical conductivity& pH Soil Organic Carbon Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC) and Exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K), Al, Fe &Mn Method of Analysis Olsen’s Sieve Analytical Instrument References UV- Visible Spectrophotometer Retsch shaker and sieve ISRIC, 1993 1:2 (soil:water) ratio InoLabcond 730 WTW series electrical conductivity meter & HANNA pH 210 pH meter Walkley-Black wet oxidation Barium Chloride (BaCl2) Various apparatus Table Summary of methods of soil study Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) Buurmanet al (1996) Sonnevelt & van den Ende (1971); Janzen (1993) Soon & Warren (1993) Van Reeuwijk (1993) Hendershot & Duquette (1986) Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana 237 3.2 Mini-social survey A non-probability sampling procedure known as purposive sampling (Rea & Parker, 2005) was employed in a mini-social survey to gather data on the perceptions of the communities about the spatial and temporal environmental changes that they had witnessed in the lunette-dune pan environment over the years The method facilitated the use of professional assessment, instead of randomness, in choosing the respondents (Rea & Parker, 2005) The survey was therefore, restricted only to key informants who were considered to be endowed with indigenous knowledge within the Sekoma community Consequently, two focused group discussions, one constituted by the chief and village elders and the other by the Village Development Committee (VDC) members were conducted in the village Openended questions were posed to the groups to facilitate freedom of expression In the questionnaire, the most predictable answers had been pre-stated for data capturing convenience, but were not read out to respondents to minimize the researcher’s influence on the respondent’s view Recording of the responses was conducted during the interview process In addition, notes were made on the relevant additional information provided by the respondents Results 4.1 Pedo-geomorphological characteristics of the lunette dunes To explore the distribution pattern of selected soil resources in the lunette dune-pan environment, correlation analysis (Table 3) was used to establish the relationships between soil variables at different sampling depths (SD) and the distance from the pan fringes It was observed that only sodium indicated a significant negative correlation (r =0.991, P =0.009) at SD 0–20 cm in the Tshube lunette dune at  = 0.01 Aluminium and organic carbon also exhibited negative correlations (r = -0.980, P = 0.020 and r = -0.958, P = 0.042 respectively) with distance at  = 0.05 At SD 40-60 cm, sodium (r = -0.958, P = 0.042) and EC (r = - 0.985, P = 0.015) showed negative significant relationships with distance at  = 0.05 It was observed that at SD 80-100 cm all soil variables indicated negative relationships with distance except sand fraction, but the relationships were not significant at both  = 0.01 and 0.05 ECEC was the only soil variable that showed significant and negative relation with distance (r = -0.998, P = 0.002) at SD 130-150 cm and  = 0.01 Furthermore, all other soil variables indicated negative relationships with distance except sand fraction, phosphorus and pH Magnesium (r = -1, P = 0.011), manganese (r = -0.999, P = 0.033) and phosphorus (r = 0.999, P = 0.029) were the only soil variables that exhibited significant relationships with distance at  = 0.05 in relation to SD 180-200 cm (Table 3) in the Tshube lunette dune In Leremela lunette dune, none of the selected soil variables showed a significant relationship with distance from the pan fringes (SP1) to the slip face slope (SP 4) at SD 0-20 cm and  = 0.01 and 0.05 (Table 3) However, all variables displayed negative relationships with distance except sand fraction, aluminium and manganese Magnesium (r = 0.984, P = 0.016) was the only soil variable that indicated positive significant relationship with distance at  = 0.05 in relation to the SD 40-60 cm With the exception of sand fraction, manganese and phosphorus, all other soil variables were negatively related to distance at SD 40-60 cm From SD 60-200 cm, soil variables and distance were not significantly related at  = 0.01 and 0.05 238 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change All selected soil variables did not show significant relationships with distance at SD 0-20 cm in Kebuang lunette dune Furthermore, all soil variables were negatively related to distance except sand fraction and aluminium at SD 0-20 cm Potassium (r = -0.984, P = 0.016) and EC (r = -0.964, P = 0.036) were the only soil variables that showed negative significant relationships with distance at  = 0.05 with respect to SD 40-60 cm At SD 80-100 cm, the relationships between all soil variables and distance were not significant at both  = 0.01 and 0.05 In addition, all soil variables were negatively related to distance except sand fraction and aluminium Only calcium (r = -1, P = 0.013) displayed a perfect negative relationship with distance at  = 0.05 and SD 130-150 cm sampling depth At  = 0.01 and 0.05 significant levels, all selected soil variables were not significantly related to distance at SD 180-200 cm in Kebuang lunette dune (Table 3) It was also observed that all the relationships were negative except for sand fraction and pH 4.2 Plant species distribution patterns and community composition In Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) diagram, each site point lies at the centroid of the points of the species that occurs at the sampling site (Hill, 1979) Therefore, Figure mirrors the approximate plant species distribution patterns and plant community composition in the lunette dune-pan environment On the basis of Figure 4, Inferences were made about the species that were likely to be found at a particular sampling site Sites that were close to the point of the species were likely to exhibit high density of that particular species, and the density of a species was expected to decrease with the increase in distance from its location Two main plant communities were identified in the lunette dune-pan environment The first one was dominated by Acacia mellifera and the other by Grewia flava (Figure 4) A mellifera community was dominant particularly at the sampling points that were located on the slip face of the lunette dunes, and between the lunette dune-pan complex and the settlement area G flava community was predominated the wind ward slope 300 Axis2 A flec R tenu S29 G flav 200 R tric E rigi S23 S16 S36 S30 S28 S34 S19 S17 S20 S6 100 S3 S2 S5 S18 S4S8 S7 S35 S31 S32 S14 S33 S22 S24 A mell S21 S13 A erioS12 S15 S26 S25 S10 A hebe S1 S27 00 -100 S9 S11 Mokw 100 200 300 Axis1 400 Z mucr B albi -100 -200 Fig Plant species distribution in the lunette dune-pan environment (scale = 1; multiplier = 100) 244 Axis International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change DCA λ 0.42 0.26 0.16 0.08 CCA 0-20cm r λ 0.26 0.79 0.15 0.75 0.10 0.65 0.08 0.64 CCA 40-60cm r λ 0.26 0.87 0.19 0.78 0.13 0.79 0.08 0.67 CCA 80-100cm r λ 0.28 0.87 0.17 0.83 0.12 0.80 0.10 0.78 CCA 130-150cm r λ 0.27 0.85 0.16 0.81 0.08 0.73 0.08 0.71 CCA 180-200cm r λ 0.20 0.81 0.19 0.92 0.14 0.78 0.11 0.82 Table Eigen values of the first four axes and the species-environment correlations The eigen values (λ) of the DCA and CCA were determined to further assess the degree to which the selected soil variables could explain plant species distribution in the lunette dunepan environment (Table 5) The eigen value is usually referred to as the “per centage variance accounted for” (ter Braak, 1988) It always ranges from one (1) to zero (0), and the higher the value the more important the ordination axis Furthermore, eigen values of ca 0.3 and higher are usually common in ecological applications (ter Braak, 1988) However, an ordination diagram that explains only a low per centage of the total variance in the species data may still be informative (ter Braak, 1988) Eigen values are usually in the form of a decreasing order with values for axes and being larger than those of axes and as is the case in Table which shows the species-environment correlations (r) and the eigen values for the first four axes It was observed that some eigen values were lower than 0.3 (Table 5) This suggested limitations on the use of data on selected soil variables to explain variation in plant species distribution This was not out of the ordinary as it is widely acknowledged that plant species distribution in any ecosystem is a function of numerous environmental factors, and that it is practically impossible for any scientific research to exhaustively and concurrently incorporate all environmental factors of potential significance into a particular study Therefore, the selected soil variables were considered sufficient to comprehensively shed light on the patterns of plant species distribution in the lunette dune-pan environment in Sekoma 4.4 Social survey It was established that the village of Sekoma did not originate where it was currently located The village originated in the western side (Sekoma West) of the lunette dunes and a considerable portion of the community decided to migrate to the eastern side (Sekoma) of the lunette dunes between the years 1924-1927 However, some few members of the community decided to remain in Sekoma West and they still inhabited the area at the period of this research They indicated that there was nothing major that caused the migration However, observations indicated that some changes in their environment instigated the migration For instance, observation of abandoned old hand-dug wells located in the western side of the pan suggested a possible exhaustion of underground water resources at that site The migration implied a shift in land use pressure from one side of the lunette dune-pan complex to the other During the discussions, it became apparent that over the years the local community had amassed a wealth of indigenous knowledge with regard to the changes in their environment The following is an account of the perceptions of the local community pertaining to the lunette dune-pan environment:  The community perceived the existence of the lunette dunes in their environs as a natural phenomenon Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana         245 They noticed an increase in dune size and height with simultaneous shrinkage of the pan which occurred gradually over the years They recognized that the lunette dunes were not a single hammock of sand, but a dune field of distinct sand dunes Consequently, they identified the main lunette dunes as Tae, Kebuang, Boisi, Leremela and Tshube from east to west They were also aware of the perpetual development of some minor dunes in the area Excessive wind erosion was identified as the main agent of soil transfer from the environment onto the lunette dunes This coupled with the trees which had grown on the lunette dunes trapping the aeolian soil particles, were acknowledged as the main drivers linked with the continuous development of lunette dunes They noticed a rapid increase in the height and size of the lunette dunes between the years 1985-1987 which they attributed to the severe drought that occurred in the area during that period They pointed out that due to the drought, vegetation was devastated leaving large areas of bare land, creating conducive conditions for rapid soil erosion in the area They associated the drought with bush encroachment or thickening which was evident within the lunette dune-pan environment As evidence to the climatic changes that they observed in the area over a long period of time, they cited a decline in the amount of rainfall that the Sekoma area received over the years Furthermore, they indicated that in the past, the annual rainfall was sufficient to fill the pan and that the pan was able to hold surface water for longer periods They realized that this was no longer the case They attributed the changes to loss of surface water holding capacity due to pan sedimentation Pan sedimentation was associated with excessive soil erosion that continued to occur over the years causing the pan shrink As a result, the community relied heavily on hand-dug wells located within the pan as the main source of water for livestock The community indicated that the lunette dunes did not contribute significantly to productivity in pastoral farming in their area due to shortage of fodder resources in the lunette dune-pan environment Finally, they pointed out that the lunette dune-pan environment was subjected to increasing land use pressure due to the increase in the population of the community and livestock in the area However, they indicated that the situation had been aggravated by some farmers from other villages that had relocated close to Sekoma due to shortage of fodder and water in their areas Discussion 5.1 Pedo-geomorphology of the lunette dune complex Soils in the Kalahari area are sandy grains constituted mainly by quartz and small amounts of zircon, garnet, feldspar, ilmenite and tourmaline (Wang et al., 2007; Leistner, 1967) Analysis of soil properties of the Sekoma lunette dune-pan environment did not indicate otherwise as the lunette dunes were more than 95% sandy up to the depth of 200 cm A soil profile established in one of the lunette dunes indicated no signs of soil horizons up to the depth of 200cm This showed dominance of sand fraction in the soil texture of the lunette dunes Goudie and Wells (1995) and Lancaster (1978) pointed out that the deflation of sediment directly from the pan floor during dry climatic condition periods resulted in the 246 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change formation of the lunette dunes in the Kalahari Paradoxically, sandy soils were dominant in the lunette dunes compared to the fine textured soil associated with the pan floor However, Lawson (1998) mentioned that presently sediment deflation from the pan floor was limited in Kalahari Therefore, the observed soil texture suggested that the Sekoma pan had contributed insignificant amount of sediments to the development of the lunette dunes in the recent years The dominance of the sand fraction also implied that the sandy environs of the surrounding area had recently contributed significantly to the sedimentation of the lunette dunes compared to the pan floor This may in turn point to the spatial and temporal environmental changes that had occurred in the area with particular reference to changes in land use, and climatic conditions including, inter alia, direction of wind flow, rainfall patterns, increase in livestock population and occurrences of veldt fires Correlation analyses indicated that most of the relationships between soil and geomorphological variables were not statistically significant in the three selected lunette dunes This suggested that the geomorphological properties, particularly the dune slope did not have an influence in the distribution of selected soil variables in the lunette dune-pan environment Furthermore, lack of distinct patterns in the distribution trends of the selected soil variables in the lunette dune-pan environment pointed to the existence of considerable spatial heterogeneity in the soil resources distribution in the environment Similar findings in relation to soil resources distribution in arid zones elsewhere have been cited (e.g Wang et al., 2007; Wezel et al., 2000) Heterogeneity in soil resources in arid regions has often been attributed to the existence of resources islands that normally form under shrub canopies (Wang et al., 2007; Wezel et al., 2000) The islands usually represent micro-sites of favourable conditions for plant growth (Wang et al., 2007; Dhillion 1999) 5.2 Vegetation of the lunette dune complex Two main plant communities that inhabited the Sekoma lunette dune-pan complex were dominated by G flava and A mellifera The G flava community occupied the wind ward slopes in all the sampled dunes, but also existed at the crest in the Leremela lunette dune The A mellifera community inhabited the slip face slope in all the sampled dunes, but also existed at the pan fringes in Leremela and Kebuang and at the crest in Kebuang lunette dunes The density of A mellifera was higher close to the village as compared to further afield Leremela and Kebuang lunette dunes were the closest lunette dunes to the settlement area of Sekoma Furthermore, the hand-dug wells used for livestock watering were located closer to Kebuang lunette dune as compared to the other two lunette dunes Consequent to this was the evidence of pronounced land use pressure footprints on Kebuang lunette dune Bush encroachment species predominated by A mellifera was one of the prominent land use pressure footprints in the lunette dune-pan environment Hence, land use was identified as one of the significant factors that influenced environmental changes, particularly the distribution of plant species and community composition, in the Sekoma lunette dune-pan environment The dominance of A mellifera in the lunette dune-pan environment was indicative of the competitive capability of A mellifera in areas that were subjected to intense land use pressure The abundance of A mellifera under conditions similar to that of the study site has been linked to the species morphological features which enhance its establishment and survival when subjected to harsh environmental conditions (Moleele, 1999) For instance, in spite of the high nutritive value associated with the species, its thorny nature makes it less susceptible to browsing by livestock (Tolsma et al., 1987) Similar studies conducted Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana 247 elsewhere have indicated that species that were more resistant to browsing were normally found in abundance closer to the ‘foci-point’, which could either be a water source or settlement area (Perkins & Thomas, 1993; Moleele & Perkins, 1998; Moleele, 1999) Fig 10 High livestock density in the Sekoma pan with lunette dunes on the background Herbaceous cover in the area was non-existent during the time of sampling (Figure 11) It may be argued that this could be linked to the sampling period as it was conducted at the beginning of the rainy season However, the Kalahari communities have intrinsic inclination towards keeping cattle over small stock On the other hand, the physiological constraints of cattle limit their movements from their water source (Moleele & Perkins, 1998; Moleele, 1999) Consequently, cattle spent most of their time within the lunette dune-pan environment (Figure 10) close to their water sources In light of this, the intensity of land use, particularly pastoral farming, was identified as the primary contributing factor to lack of herbaceous cover in the lunette dune-pan environment In fact, similar researches conducted elsewhere (e.g Skarpe, 1986; Ringrose et al., 1996; Moleele & Perkins, 1998; Moleele, 1999) have indicated that the development of bare land patches is often caused by overgrazing and trampling due to high livestock density This condition facilitated the predominance of species like A mellifera and G flava which have innate ability to adapt to hostile environmental conditions through their competitive edge over others (Skarpe, 1990; Moleele & Perkins, 1998; Moleele, 1999) leading to bush encroachment or thickening in the lunette dune-pan environment Browse resources contribute significantly to livestock feed in environments where grazing resources are limited (Scholte, 1992; Moleele, 1999) Hence, the scarcity of grazing resources in the lunette dune-pan environment compelled livestock to heavily depend on browse resources Scholte (1972) and Moleele (1999) indicated that the establishment and survival of woody species is determined by their survival mechanisms against browsing pressure In view of this, plant species that had the capacity to withstand browsing pressure (A mellifera and G flava) became dominant in the lunette dune-pan environment over the years as land use pressure increased Therefore, the phenomenon of environmental changes characterized 248 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change by the development of imprints of selectivity of livestock on browse resources was inevitable in the lunette dune-pan complex Fig 11 Common bare ground condition in the lunette dune-pan environment 5.3 Local community perceptions on environmental changes The social survey provided evidence of a wealth of indigenous knowledge that had been accumulated through informal observations and experiences by the local community The community perceived wind as the main agent transporting soil particles from the pan and the environs onto the lunette dunes The perceptions also indicated that the lunette dunes and the plants that grew thereon served as barriers that trapped the aeolian soil particles and lead to continuous process of dune development The perceptions had considerable overlap with findings from empirical research (e.g Lancaster, 1978b) The community perceived the lunette dune-pan environment as an important water source pertinent to their pastoral farming activities However, it was evident that potential developments in the area of pastoral farming were bedevilled by lack of grazing resources which was a major concern for the community It was indicated that lack of grazing resources in the area was mainly caused by environmental changes that were characterized by an increase in the livestock population and a decline in the annual rainfall Therefore, livestock grazing was perceived to be insignificant in the lunette dune-pan environment, hence the lunette dunes were considered insignificant in relation to fodder provision in Sekoma However, field observations indicated that in spite of the changes in the environment, the lunette dune complex continued to contribute substantially in fodder provision over the years mainly through browsing resources that they sustained Conclusion Changes in land use patterns as well as its intensity had affected the lunette dune-pan complex and continue to cause significant spatial and temporal environmental changes in Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana 249 the Sekoma area The general changes in the climatic factors over the years had influenced changes in the land use patterns, and also contributed to environmental changes observed in the area The predominance of bush encroachment species, particularly A mellifera was evidence of the precedence of land use intensity over other drivers of environmental changes The establishment of a sustainable environmental management strategy that could mitigate against the impacts of major drivers of environmental changes in the area was therefore necessary The fact that the Sekoma community exhibited a wealth of indigenous knowledge in relation to the environmental changes taking place in the lunette dune-pan complex was desirable from the sustainable environmental management perspective The findings of this study, concomitant with the indigenous technical knowledge of the Sekoma community could therefore form the basis upon which sustainable environmental management planning for the Sekoma lunette dune-pan complex could be established to facilitate natural resources and ecosystem conservation Furthermore, attention of scientists who conduct their research works in arid environments has been drawn to the need for special consideration of lunette dune-pan complexes that normally exist as interspersed micro-ecosystems in arid environments More studies are therefore essential to further elucidate environmental changes and ecosystem dynamics of lunette dune-pan microecosystems in arid and semi-arid zones globally This is particularly important in view of the empirical research observations (e.g., Chanda et al., 2003; Mosweu, 2008; Mosweu & Areola, 2008) which indicated that the livelihoods of most communities living in arid and semi-arid zones revolve around the sustainability of lunette dune-pan micro-ecosystems References Bhalotra, Y.P.R 1985 Rainfall maps of Botswana Gaborone Department of Meteorological Services Bonham, C.D 1989 Measurements for Terrestrial Vegetation.Wiley, New York Chanda, R., Totolo, O., Moleele, N., Setshogo, M., & Mosweu, S 2003 Prospects for subsistence livelihood and environmental sustainability along the Kalahari Transect: The case of Matsheng in Botswana’s Kalahari rangelands Journal of Arid Environments 54, 425-445 Cooke, R., Warren, A., & Goudie, A 1993.Desert geomorphology UCL Press, London Department of Surveys and Mapping 2001 Botswana National PC Atlas 1.0C Gaborone, Botswana Dhillion, S.S 1999 Environmental heterogeneity, animal disturbances, micro site characteristics, and seedling establishment in a Quercushavardii community Restoration Ecology 7, 399-406 Gauch, H.G 1982a Multivariate analysis in community ecology.Cambridge University Press England Geological Survey Department (1995) Groundwater pollution vulnerability map of Republic of Botswana Gaborone, Botswana: Government Printers Goldsmith, F.B & Harrison, C.M 1976.Description and analysis of vegetation In: S.B Chapman (Ed.) Methods in plant ecology.Backwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK.Pg 85-155 Goudie, A.S & Thomas, D.S.G 1986.Lunette dunes in Southern Africa.Journal of Arid Environments 10, 1-12 250 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change Goudie, A.S., & Wells, G.L.1995 The nature, distribution and formation of pans in arid zones.Earth Science Reviews 38, 1-69 Hendershot, W.H & Duguetts, M.1986.A simple barium chloride method for determining cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations.Soil Sci Soc Am J 50, 605-608 Hill, M.O 1979 TWINSPAN: A Fortran Program for Arranging Multivariate Data in an Ordered Two-Way Table by Classification of the Individual and Attributes Cornell University, NY Holmgren, K & Shaw, P 1996 Paleoenvironmental reconstruction from near-surface pan sediments: An example from Lebatse pan, southeast Kalahari, Botswana Geogr Ann., 79A (1-2), 83-93 International Soil Reference and Information Centre 1993 Procedures for soil analysis 4th Ed Wageningen, Netherlands Janzen, H.H 1993 Soluble salts In: Cater, M.R (Ed.) Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis.Canadian Society of Soil Science, Lewis Publishers, London Krebs, C.J 1989 Ecological methodology Harper Collins, New York Lancaster, I N 1978 The pans of Southern Kalahari, Botswana.Geographical Journal 144, 8198 Lancaster, I N 1986 Grain-size characteristics of linear dunes in the southwest Kalahari.Journal of Sedimentology and Petrology 56, 395-400 Lancaster, I N 1989 Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironments in the southwestern Kalahari Palaeogepgraphy, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 70, 367-376 Lawson, M 1998 Environmental change in South Africa: A luminescence-based chronology of late Quaternary lunette dune development Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Sheffield In: Carr, A.S., Thomas, D.S.G & Bateman, M.D 2006 Climatic and sea level controls on late Quaternary eolian activity on the Agulhas Plain, South Africa Quaternary Research 65, 252-263 Leistner, O.A 1967 The plant ecology of the southern Kalahari.Botanical survey memoir No 38 The Government Printer, Pretoria Maestre, F T., Bautista, S., & Cortina J 2003 Positive, negative and net effects in grassshrub interactions in Mediterranean semiarid grasslands.Ecology 84, 3186-3197 Marker, M.E & Holmes, P.J 1995 Lunette dunes in the northeast Cape, South Africa, as geomorphic indicators of palaeoenvironmental change Catena 24, 259-273 McDonald, D.J., Crowling, R.M., & Boucher, C 1996 Vegetation-environment relationships on a species-rich coastal mountain range in the fynbos biome (South Africa) Vegetatio 123, 165-182 Moleele, N.M & Perkins, J.S 1998 Encroaching woody plant species and boreholes: is cattle density the main driving factor in the Olifants Drift communal grazing lands, South-eastern Botswana? Journal of Arid Environments 40, 245-253 Moleele, N.M 1999 A review of browse: A neglected food resource for cattle in Botswana PhD Thesis, Stockholm University, Sweden Monier, M.A El-G., & Amer, W.M 2003 Soil-vegetation relationships in a coastal desert plain of Southern Sinai, Egypt Journal of Arid Environments 55, 607-628 Mosweu, S 2008 Soil resources distribution, woody plant properties and land use in a lunette dune-pan system in Kalahari, Botswana Scientific Research and Essay, 3(9) 242-256 Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswana 251 Mosweu, S & Areola, O 2008 The impacts of pan quarrying on livestock watering in a semi-arid region: Case study of Kang pan in the Kalahari, Botswana Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, 5(1) 36-44 Mosweu, S., Atlhopheng, J.R & Setshogo, M.P 2010 Variation in the distribution of soil attributes along the lunette dune slopes Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, 6(1) 34-47 Muller-Dombois, D., & Heinz, E 1974.Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology John Wiley and Sons, New York Perkins, J.S., & Thomas, D.S.G 1993 Environmental responses and sensitivity to permanent cattle ranching, semi-arid western central Botswana In: D.S.G Thomas and R.J Allison (Eds.) Landscape sensitivity John Wiley and Sons, Chichester Ringrose, S., Vanderpost, C & Matheson, W 1996 The use of remotely sensed data and GIS data to determine causes of vegetation cover change in Southern Botswana Applied Geography 16, 225-242 Scholte, P.T 1992 Leaf litter and Acacia pods as feed for livestock during the dry season in Acacia-Commiphorabushland, Kenya.Journal of Arid Environments 22, 271-276 Schwinning, S., Starr, B.I., & Ehleringer, J.R 2005 Summer and winter drought in cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau), Part II: Effects on plant carbon assimilation and growth Journal of Arid Environments 61, 61-78 Skarpe, C.1986 Plant community structure in relation to grazing and environmental changes along a North South transect in Western Kalahari Vegetatio 68, 3-18 Skarpe, C.1990 Structure of woody vegetation in disturbed and undisturbed arid savanna, Botswana.Vegetatio 87, 11-18 Smet.M., & Ward, D 2006 Soil quality gradients around water-points under different management systems in a semi-arid savanna, South Africa.Journal of Arid Environments 64, 251-269 Sonnevelt, C., & van den Ende, J 1971 Soil analysis by means of a 1:2 volume extract Plant Soil 35, 505-506 Soon, Y.K., & Warren, C.J 1993 Soil Solution In: M.R Cater (Ed.) Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis.Canadian Society of Soil Science.Lewis Publishers, London Ter Braak, C.J.F 1988 Program CANOCO Manual Ministry of Agriculture and fisheries, Agricultural Mathematics Group (DLO), Wageningen, The Netherlands Rea, L.M & Parker, R.A 2005 Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A comprehensive guide 3rd ed San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Ter Braak, C.J.F 1995 Ordination In: R.H.G Jongman, C.J.F ter Braak, & O.F.R van Tongeren (Eds.) Data analysis in Community and landscape ecology Cambridge University Press, Great Britain Tolsma, D.J., Ernst, W.H., &Verway, R.A 1987 Nutrients in soil and vegetation around two artificial water points in eastern Botswana Journal of Applied Ecology 24, 991-1000 Van Reeuwijk, L P., (1993), Procedures for Soil Analysis International Soil Reference and Information Centre Technical Paper No.1 Wang, L., D’Odorico, P., Ringrose, S., Coetzee, S., & Macko, S.A 2007 Biogeochemistry of Kalahari sands Journal of Arid Environments, 71(3): 259-279 252 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change Wenzel, A., Rajot, J.L.,& Herbrig, C 2000 Influence of shrubs on soil characteristics and their function in the Sahalian agro-ecosystems in semi-arid Niger Journal of arid environments 44, 383-398 13 Late Quaternary Environmental Changes and Human Interference in Africa Wolfgang Römer Department of Geography, RWTH (University) Aachen, Germany Introduction The African continent has been subjected to several changes in its environmental conditions in the past These changes have affected vegetation patterns, soil development and earth- surface processes Repeated change has caused the development of a complex pattern of inherited features in the present-day landscape that regulate its susceptibility towards modern change in environmental conditions Since the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, human interference in ecodynamics has increased dramatically Humans have been altering the environment since they first controlled fire and invented agriculture However, the exponential growth of population in the last 100 years has brought with it an accelerated rate of landscape degradation The superimposition of anthropogenous sources of interference and climatic factors has often changed the type and intensity of earth-surface processes This results in an imbalance and often triggers an array of self-reinforcing processes These processes operate on different spatial scales and in different time frames and are discussed in chapter In many areas of Africa, intensified use of land has induced serious soil erosion Particularly in the semi-arid tropical and subtropical zones of Africa, soil-erosion processes are supported by the variable nature of rainfalls, the strong seasonal contrasts in the availability of moisture and the poor vegetation cover and soils and sediments, which are characterised by a high level of erodibility Chapter provides an attempt to summarise some of the processes and impacts which are associated with soil erosion in Africa Extreme events played and play an important role in the African morphodynamic system and may pose a threat to humans The spatial and temporal distribution of extreme events and factors which determine the magnitude, frequency and the impact of such events are discussed in chapter The increasing demand for arable land has resulted in the enlargement of those areas affected by biomass burning Chapter provides an overview of the impact of savanna fires on the vegetation and the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere The objective of this paper is to present a synthesis of the recent research on the influence of human interference on earth-surface processes and the differing reaction paths in the African landscapes Environmental changes in Africa 2.1 Long-term environmental change In the course of the Cenozoic period, the African continent experienced several phases characterised by very different environmental conditions On a time scale of 106 to 108 years, 254 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change these changes were associated with the break-up and fragmentation of the ancient continent Pangaea into individual continents in the Mesozoic The plate tectonic motion of the continents initiated a number of different processes, including the drift of continental masses into polar areas, the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the formation of new mountain belts and the establishment of a new ocean circulation system These changes resulted in a climatic system that was completely different from that of the Cretaceous and early Cenozoic periods (Haq, 1981; Seibold and Berger, 1995; Goudie, 1999; Skinner and Porter, 2000) In the Neogene, the new position of the continents supported the growth of the Antarctic ice sheet and the drop in sea-surface temperatures This induced a trend towards drier climatic conditions In the Quaternary the changes culminated in relatively rapid climatic fluctuations The progression of different climates brought with it changes in the vegetation cover and in the denudation rates Further processes which influenced the Cenozoic evolution of Africa are slow epirogenic crustal movements, which were responsible for the development of large basins and swells (Summerfield, 1999, Römer, 2004) Periods of local uplift produced elevated continental margins, and intense rift processes promoted intense volcanism and block faulting ((Petters, 1991; Summerfield, 1999) The cumulative effects of these processes ranged from the development of new drainage systems, the rejuvenation of old erosion surfaces, to the development of uplifted and highly dissected plateaux along the continental margins, and the relatively young volcanic areas and uplifted block-faulted mountain zones along the rift valleys in eastern Africa The different landscapes tend to respond in different ways and at different rates of environmental change The distinctive response of the landscapes and geomorphic forms, however, depends not only on the lithological and structural conditions in the different geotectonic domains The strength, propagation and prolongation of the response is also modulated by the different coupling strength between hillslopes, major river systems and oceans (Wirthmann, 2000; Römer, 2012) Africa encompasses rain forest, savanna, desert and Mediterranean environments The present pattern of bioclimatic zones is the result of the climatic changes that occurred after the Pleistocene However, large areas of Africa are covered with sediments and soils that are derived from the Pleistocene period The sediments and soils are an integral part of the present ecosystem and exert influences on the rate at which earth-surface processes progress, the physico-chemical processes in the soils and the distribution of the vegetation 2.2 Climatic change in the last millennium Even within a timescale of 102 to 103 years, the environmental conditions in Africa are highly variable In southern Africa, the climate was as warm or warmer from 900 to 1300 (medieval warm period) than at present, but became colder than present from 1300 to 1810 (Tyson and Partridge, 2000) The transitions from the medieval warm period to the period of the "Little Ice Age" (1300 to 1850), and from the end of the "Little Ice Age" to the recent period are well documented in southern Africa Historical reports, studies of lake levels and dendroclimatological analyses show that it is likely that some of the climatic changes at the end of the "Little Ice Age" occurred synchronously in the northern and the southern hemisphere According to Nicholson (1999, p 69), a trend towards increasing dryness is indicated in the droughts that occurred from the 1780’s until the 1830’s for the northern and the southern hemisphere However, in the Sahelian zone, the droughts appear to have lasted for two decades whilst in southern Africa they lasted only for a few consecutive years (Nicholson, 1999, p 80) In southern Africa, the wet to dry conditions are related to tropical Late Quaternary Environmental Changes and Human Interference in Africa 255 easterlies and westerly disturbances The strengthening of the tropical easterlies is associated with warm, wet spells and high rainfall amounts in the summer rainfall regions of southern Africa Conversely, dry spells result from the more frequent westerly disturbances (Tyson and Partridge, 2000) According to this model, atmospheric adjustments resulting in cooler conditions imply a decrease in rainfalls over summer rainfall areas of southern Africa whilst a warming caused by adjustments in the tropical circulation is associated with a general increase in rainfalls In the Sahelian zone, the process of aridification during the transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century appears to have been related to a later northward advance of the ITCZ This implies a shorter rainy season in the Sahel but wetter conditions on the coast of Guinea (Nicholson, 1999) Based on reports of prevailing winds and hydrological records, an earlier advance of the ITCZ seems to explain the wetter conditions in the Sahel and West Africa during the seventeenth and eighteenth century (Nicholson, 1999, p.69) However, even these wet periods were interrupted by severe droughts, which lasted one or two decades (Nicholson, 1999) Some pronounced events appear to coincide with global climatic trends in the atmospheric circulation pattern that are associated with the "Little Ice Age" The severe droughts of the 1820’s and 1830’s in Africa correspond with the last intensification of the "Little Ice Age" and may be related to a global period of anomalous circulation (Nicholson, 1999) The cooler and drier conditions in Southern Africa during the “Little Ice Age” are clearly documented from several tree ring analyses (Tyson and Partridge, 2000) More recent changes are associated with links between sea surface temperatures and rainfall amounts over tropical Southern Africa Studies of Richard et al (2001) imply a higher likelihood between El Niño events, higher water temperatures in the Indian Ocean and reduced rainfall amounts over tropical Southern Africa since 1970 A similar direction of change is expected by Landman and Mason (1999) for Namibia and South Africa According to their investigation, wetter conditions in north-eastern Southern Africa and northern Namibia tend to be associated more often with warm events in the Indian Ocean, whilst prior to the late 1970’s, there was a stronger correspondence between warm events in the Indian Ocean and dry conditions over Namibia and South Africa 2.3 Environmental change and human interference In Africa, the superimposition of environmental changes and human interference is not a recent phenomenon In the savannas, humans appear to have used fire for over 1.5 million years (Gowlett et al., 1981, Goldammer, 1993) Colluvial deposits containing artefacts of the late Pleistocene and early Holocene periods point towards an increase of erosion resulting from deterioration of the vegetation cover (Lewis, 2008) caused by human interference Extensive woodland clearance is also documented from Tanzania, where charcoal production for iron smelting in the last 900 years has led to an increase in soil erosion (Schmidt, 1997, Eriksson et al., 2000) Agriculture and fires that were ignited by humans appear to have played a key role in the development of the vegetation pattern and in the composition of the plant communities in most parts of the savanna areas The highly variable environmental conditions in Africa have, at all times, increased the pressure to expand the utilisation of land into areas which not support large populations on a subsistence basis The semi-arid tropics of Africa, in particular, have been subjected on several occasions to marked environmental degradation (Seuffert, 1987, Mensching, 1990) As the amount of summer rainfall in these areas determines the quantity of forage and crop yield, rainfall amounts also determine the economic base of the human population An 256 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change example of the complex interaction of the various processes is the Sahel zone, where the rapid growth of the population over the last century coincides with an enlargement of areas for agriculture (Seuffert, 1987) Varying rainfall amounts and consecutive years with low rainfall amounts in conjunction with intensified cultivation methods, vegetation clearance and increased livestock husbandry resulted in a degradation of many areas In the Sahel zone, the carrying capacity of the land was exceeded and the southward expansion into more humid areas caused further environmental degradation (Mensching, 1990) Soil erosion 3.1 Factors contributing to soil erosion Land degradation resulting from inappropriate cultivation practices, high grazing intensities and clearance of the vegetation is often associated with an increase in erosion by water and wind In the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, the effects of soil erosion appear to be correlated with a decline of the productivity of the cultivated land and of the per capita ratio of cultivated area (Beckedahl, 2002) Soil erosion may induce irreversible damage to arable land, and tends to produce ecologically unstable landscapes and socioeconomic problems (Scoones et al., 1996) Human interference contributes to soil erosion in a direct and indirect way by modifying the topography for buildings, clearance of vegetation for pasture and cultivation, or by compacting the soil by the use of machines Although the extrapolation of anthropogenously induced soil loss over longer periods remains a challenge, most authors agree that land degradation by soil erosion has affected large areas of Africa (Reading, et al., 1995; Scoones et al., 1996; Valentin et al., 2004; Bork, 2006; Dahlke and Bork, 2006; Nyssen et al., 2004) Beckedahl (2002) states that about 85% of the area of Africa north of the equator is potentially endangered by soil erosion and that the area of the arable land has decreased from 0.3 ha/person (1986) to about 0.23 ha/person (2000) A further reduction of the arable area per person to 0.15 is predicted for the year 2050 (Beckedahl, 2002, p.18) The process of soil erosion is a function of a number of interrelated factors These include the climatic conditions, the soil, the relief, the density and type of the vegetation and the land use and agricultural techniques The on-site effects of soil erosion range from soil loss to a decrease in nutrients in the soil, to changes in the water balance and runoff Off-site effects are the pollution of fresh water by delivering eroded, nutrient and heavy metal-laden sediments to rivers and lakes (Zachar, 1982, Reading et al., 1995, De Meyer et al 2011) Soil erosion is not only an African problem, but environmental and socioeconomic conditions provide a specific set of factors which appear to be different from those of other continents Extensive areas of Africa encompass pericratonic and cratonic terrain-types These areas are characterised by old landscapes, which presumably originated in the late Mesozoic or early Cenozoic periods (Wirthmann, 2000; Römer, 2007) Deeply weathered rocks, escarpments and deeply incised valleys with steep valley side slopes feature high susceptibility to soil erosion and slope failure In some of these areas, weathering mantles and soils have survived for millions of years This has supported the depletion of the weathering mantles and the development of sandy materials that are prone to erosion processes (Dingle et al., 1983; Areola, 1999; Partridge and Maud, 2000) In semi-arid areas of Africa such as the Sahel, the Sub-Sahelian regions or the Kalahari large tracts are covered by sand dunes and sediments that were mobilised during the Pleistocene These materials are generally liable to soil crusting and erosion by both water and wind (Valentin, et al., 2005) Late Quaternary Environmental Changes and Human Interference in Africa 257 High rates of soil erosion are associated with laterised weathering layers and soils, which are characterised by clay-enriched argic horizons with weak microstructure (e.g Acrisols) or low aggregate stability (Lixisols) Studies from several areas in Africa imply that even under undisturbed conditions natural erosion rates may exceed the rate of soil delivery (Shakesby and Whitlow, 1991; Idike, 1992, Braun et al., 2003) However, comparative measurements are rare In disturbed areas, soil erosion rates are estimated to range from 0.5 to 110 t ha-1 a-1, largely depending on the eksystemic and ensystemic conditions at the site, the intensity of disturbance and the measurement methods (Reading et al., 1995; Stocking, 1995; Beckedahl, 2002) These rates appear to exceed the natural erosion rates by an order or several orders of magnitude (Thomas, 1994; Reading et al., 1995) The predicted increase in soil erosion in future is considered to have devastating consequences on the soil system, the productivity of arable land and the natural habitat 3.2 Soil erosion and environmental conditions Soil erosion by water is the result of a combination of several processes, which increase in intensity with the amount, duration and intensity of the rainfall events The processes involved in soil erosion include splash, interrill, rill and gully erosion Another group of erosion processes includes gravitative processes such as landslides and erosion by wind Soil erosion in Africa is not a phenomenon of a distinctive physiographic zone, though some factors support soil erosion Soil erosion has been documented from nearly all physiographic zones of Africa (Rapp, 1976; Elwell and Stocking, 1982; Biot, 1990; Mensching, 1990; Bork, 2004) A characteristic feature of the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa is that rainfall varies in amount, intensity and structure within a year, and between years and decades (Seuffert, 1987; Hulme, 1999; Tyson and Partridge, 2000) In semi-arid tropical areas, the decrease in the annual rainfall is often associated with an increase in the intensity and variability of rainfall events and a decrease in vegetation cover of natural and cultivated areas (Seuffert et al., 1999) While rainfall intensity provides the energy for soil erosion, the vegetation cover controls the amount of rainfall that reaches the surface Important parameters are the high spacing and the structure of the vegetation, the density of the under storey vegetation, and the ground cover A change in the vegetation cover may result in a marked increase in the rate of soil erosion According to Lal (1998), rainfall intensity determines the distribution of raindrop sizes while interception is a function of the total rainfall amount and of the high spacing and the structure of the vegetation cover A decline in the under storey vegetation and the ground cover is associated with a decrease in the litter at the soil surface This causes a decrease in surface roughness The decline of the under storey vegetation results in a change in the size distribution and the terminal velocity of raindrops This involves an increase in the impact energy of the raindrops as a function of the height of the canopy The decreased roughness at the soil surface and the increase in the impact energy of raindrops promotes splash erosion and the generation of overland flow A further effect of a decline in the vegetation cover is the depletion of organic matter at the soil surface This enhances the physical, chemical and biological degradation processes in the soils and results in a reduced stability of the soil structure The reduced stability of the soil structure increases the susceptibility to soil-crusting, which, in turn, affects the runoff production and susceptibility to soil erosion (Valentin et al., 2005) The decrease in the density and depth of the roots weakens the mechanical reinforcement of the soils as the root-binding effects and the apparent cohesion are reduced (Greenway, 1987) 258 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change As soil erosion is caused by individual rainfall events, the total amount and the temporal distribution of rainfall intensity are more important than the mean annual rainfall The rate of overland flow generation depends on the infiltration rate which is a function of the physical characteristics of the soil, the vegetation cover, the relative relief, the slope gradient, the roughness of the surface and the moisture content of the soil (Bork, 2004) Susceptibility of soils to soil erosion is a results of several interacting components At microscale level, these include the content of organic matter and physical properties such as grain-size distribution, mineralogical composition, water-holding capacity and shear strength (Zachar, 1982; Grabowski et al., 2011) The amount of water-stable aggregates appears to control the generation of overland flow and the detachability of soil aggregates (de Vleeschauwer et al., 1978) Raindrop impact during high-intensity rainstorms can have profound effects on soils with silty and clayey composition The impact of large raindrops promotes the compaction of the soil Small particles that have been moved by the impact block the soil pores and air is imprisoned in the pores This impedes the infiltration of water into the soil Even small changes in the textural composition of the surface soil can induce change in susceptibility to erosion In the Sahel zone, the deposition of dust and the colonisation of the soil surface with blue-green algae during fallow periods promoted the development of soil crusts (Valentin et al., 2004) Soils and deposits such as colluvium that are characterised by a high exchangeable sodium percentage are highly prone to soil erosion Susceptibility to erosion is associated with highly expansive clays (Botha and Partridge, 2000; Grabowski et al 2011) Clay minerals tend to adsorb more water at a high sodium-adsorption-ratio and water infiltrating between the clay units causes an expansion of the clays Consequently, the clay minerals are pushed apart The expansion reduces the attraction between the clay particles Dispersive soils are prone to piping processes, when the seepage water causes the development of subsurface drainage conduits (Bryan and Jones, 1997) Piping may support the development of slope failures by undermining the slope base and the collapse of pipe roofs is frequently associated with an increase in gully erosion (Heinrich, 1998; Singh et al., 2008) On a hillslope and drainage basin scale, the response to a change in the eksystemic components is modified by the steepness of the hillslopes, the coupling strength of hillslopes to major rivers and by the density and degree of development of the drainage net On a regional scale lithological and structural controls, neotectonic activities and rainshadow effects caused by large escarpments or mountain chains may exert considerable influence on the rate of soil erosion Recent studies of Fubelli et al (2008) on the Ethiopian highlands indicate that increased rainfalls and neotectonic activity are likely to be responsible for the high rates of river incision and the frequent occurrence of landsliding, and Singh et al (2008) emphasise the association between palaeolandslides and active seismic zones in the KwaZulu-Natal area of South Africa A consequence of the high number of interacting factors is that erosion rates are highly variable and tend to vary even between areas which are characterised by identical structural, lithological and geomorphological settings within the same bioclimatic zone Accordingly, this results in a highly variable response to changes in the eksystemic components, which often obscures the distinction between the effects of human interference and naturally induced fluctuations The methods for predicting the rates of soil loss range from the extrapolation of test plots to the calculation by empirical and theoretical formulations Of the latter, the "Universal Soil Loss Equation" (USLE) or related formulations of the soil erosion process are used (Stocking, 1995, Seuffert et al., 1999) However, the determination of erosion rates applying these ... to SP4 240 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change 4.3 Vegetation - Environment relationships Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) diagrams show the interrelationships between... African continent experienced several phases characterised by very different environmental conditions On a time scale of 106 to 108 years, 254 International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change. .. study Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) Buurmanet al ( 199 6) Sonnevelt & van den Ende ( 197 1); Janzen ( 199 3) Soon & Warren ( 199 3) Van Reeuwijk ( 199 3) Hendershot & Duquette ( 198 6) Investigating